Only One
by Anna Jamisen
Summary: There is always something we missed. Some strange form of misunderstanding. Relationships are not always simple. Life is not always easy. Trust is not always true. But love is always everlasting. Tony and Michelle post season 3. COMPLETE
1. Here I Go

Tony laid on the cot in his cell, staring up at the ceiling in the same way he had for the last 2 years. The consistent grey of the concrete made it easy for him to get lost in his own thoughts.

He had been sentenced a year earlier and, to Hammond's dismay, he had been given 5 years in maximum security and 5 more under house arrest before 10 years of probation. It wasn't as bad as he thought it would have been, considering the things he had done, but the character witnesses had been convincing. Michelle hadn't testified, except for on the actions of Stephen Saunders, because Tony was her husband. Jack had spoken in Tony's defense, as had Chloe.

However, no matter what his sentence, he was a convicted traitor. Michelle had refused to leave him - she said that 5 years wasn't that long. She told him she would wait, and he still filed for divorce. She still refused to sign. Maybe she had hoped it would take 5 years for a contested divorce to go through, but she did all he could to avoid it. She was good at stalling and, his lawyer reported, had destroyed the divorce papers more than once in various ways.

Tony chuckled at the thought. He could picture Michelle shredding each one several times in the office at the end of the hall, or throwing them on the stove and turning up the heat. 'That's probably the only time she'd turn the stove on,' he thought. 'She was a terrible cook.' Was. He hated the past tense of the word. The one reason he was here was so that he would never have to refer to her as if she was gone, and yet he still did. 'No,' he revoked, 'I'm the one that's gone.'

As far as he was concerned, it was true, although he knew Michelle didn't see it that way. She would tell him he was wrong - he hadn't gone anywhere. Four more years. Just Four. She would console him and tell him not to give up hope yet, that everything would be fine. 'Just hang in there.' she'd say. 'I'll be back next week.'

But she hadn't been back. It had been almost two months since he'd seen his wife. It had been two months since he'd been able to get a hold of her over the phone. He had called Jack, asking if she was okay, and he said he'd look into it.

So far Tony hadn't heard anything. He hadn't seen or heard from anyone, and he became worried that something had happened. That is, until Jack called that morning. Now Tony was waiting. Jack was coming to see him, and he didn't quite know what was going to happen. So he laid there on his bed, going over everything that had happened, and everything that had happened.

A loud buzz from the door signaled to Tony that someone was here. He sat up promptly and looked towards the steel door.

Tony's heart skipped a beat as Jack Bauer walked in.


	2. Scream My Lungs Out

"Hey Tony." Jack greeted. Tony's eyes penetrated Jack's gaze, and he came right out with it. "It's about Michelle." he admitted, watching Tony for any emotion. So far there wasn't sign of one.

Tony chewed this over; making sure Jack couldn't see how much that name affected him. If he concentrated he could see her coming through the door. She was right there behind Jack, smiling. Jack noticed that Tony's eyes had drifted to the door behind him. He spun around quickly and then looked back at Tony, who had snapped out of it. There was no one there. Jack waited for Tony to speak, and when he didn't he walked over and sat next to his friend.

"Is she alive?" Tony asked. The man next to him was taken aback at his friend's bluntness, but then again, two years in prison could do that to you.

"Yes." he answered honestly. "But Tony, she's not doing well."

"What's going on?" he asked. Jack looked down at the floor and cracked his knuckles. Tony became impatient quickly. "Jack?"

"She's sick Tony. She's in the hospital." Jack explained.

"What does she have?" Tony asked, his concern apparent on his face.

"She asked me not to tell you, but…" Jack was cut off before he could finish.

"Damn it Jack, she's my wife!" Tony yelled, jumping to his feet. "You better tell me wha-" Before Tony finished his sentence, Jack had jumped up from the bed and punched Tony in the nose. He swung back at Jack with just as much force, but missed. Jack grabbed his throat and slammed him against the wall, pulling his gun and pointing it between Tony's eyes, holding him around the neck with his other hand.

"Cool it." Jack began. Tony began to struggle, but Jack tightened his grip and cocked his gun. "You just cool it. Now I'm sorry about Michelle, I am, but you need to calm down or you will never see her again." Jack had his attention and he knew it.

"Jack, what is going on?" he asked, truly afraid that if he had another outburst Jack would shoot him.

"You calm?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Good." Jack uncocked his gun and released Tony. He listened as his old friend gasped for air, and as soon as it had evened out, Jack walked to the door, picked up a file and threw it at Tony.

Tony picked up the papers and looked at one seriously before looking back at Jack with disbelief.

"Well, let's go Almedia. Do you want to see your wife or not?"


	3. Try To Get To You

Tony followed Jack quickly into the hospital, looking around for any sign of his wife. They quickly arrived at a door and Jack stopped, turning around. "Tony," he began calmly as he removed the handcuffs from Tony's wrists. "She's really weak. She'll probably be surprised when you walk through the door, but you'll have to stay calm. If she panics…" Jack trailed off. "It'll be bad."

Tony rubbed his wrists gently. "Jack, what's wrong with her?" Tony asked.

"She'll tell you. You ready?" Tony nodded and watched as Jack opened the door to the hospital room. "Go on." he persuaded, holding the door opened for his friend. Tony slowly entered, not fully prepared for what he was about to see.

As he entered, the first thing he noticed was the wires. They were everywhere. The first ones he saw began at a bag of blood hanging next to the bed in the center of the room. The next sets were the ones connected from the other IV's. Another group was falling from a group of boxes. Tony didn't understand the numbers on them, but he knew the beep. It was the one that told them if the patient was still alive.

He looked at the patient lying in the bed. It was the first time he had noticed her. It hadn't occurred to him that all of these wires were connected to her body. It was still and lifeless. The only way you could tell the woman was living was the steady rise and fall of her chest.

Michelle. It was his Michelle. He immediately ran over to her, pushing the wires carefully out of the way so that he could kneel next to her bed. The tubes connected to his wife's fragile body were accompanied by a ventilator hose down her throat. The twisting curls that once fell from her head were all but gone, and the rosy color that once lived her cheeks was missing. He brushed his hand over hers, causing her eyes to flutter and open. Tony stared at her, not daring to move.

Michelle looked over at the man sitting next to her and was immediately shaken. The beeping of the heart monitor increased and Tony reached out to her face to try and calm her down. "It's okay, Michelle, it's Tony. Relax, sweetheart, just relax." Michelle's body slowly calmed as the doctor walked in.

"Mrs. Almedia, I'm going to remove the respirator and let you breath on your own, alright?" the doctor said, walking into the room and checking the monitors. Tony was taken aback. He wasn't sure why the doctor had called her Mrs. Almedia; she had never been called that, even before he was in prison.

The doctor finished removing the ventilator and positioned an oxygen tube over her nose. "You might want to give her some ice chips." the doctor suggested, motioning to the tray behind Tony. He turned around and picked up a small cup of ice and a plastic spoon. He scooped up a few pieces and put them in front of her mouth, allowing her to gulp down several pieces before speaking to her.

"Do you need more?" he asked. She shook her head. "Michelle, what's going on?"

"I don't want you here." she croaked. "You can't see me like this." She began to choke, and Tony fed her a few more ice chips before continuing.

"Michelle, what is wrong with you? Tell me." he begged.

"Please leave, Tony, please." she pleaded.

"No! Michelle, what's going on? Why are you here?" he asked, motioning to the bed. She reached out and grabbed his hand. He was immediately unnerved by the needles connected to her hand and arm, as well as how cold her hand was. He took her hand in his and rubbed it gently, so as not to disturb her injectors. "I love you." he whispered. "I love you so much."

Michelle let a tear fall down her cheek. "I love you." she replied. "I love you Tony."


	4. You Are My Only One

Tony walked out into the hallway, holding back tears as best as he could. He noticed Jack out of the corner of his eye, but ignored him and leaned against the wall. "El hijo de una ramera." he muttered after a moment. "You're a son of a bitch Jack. She's dying in there." he yelled, motioning towards the hospital room door. "And you knew. And you led me to believe that it -"

"I didn't lead you to believe anything!" Jack snapped softly. "Now is NOT the time for you to get pissed off. She needs you!" he yelled. With that Jack turned around and walked down the hall. He turned at the door. "You better think really hard about what you can do for her. She doesn't have much time."

Jack left the hospital and Tony suddenly wished that he wasn't there alone. He walked over to the payphone on the opposite wall and dialed the number of the only person he could truly talk to.

"!Hola!" a woman greeted.

"Eva?" Tony asked.

"Antonio?" the girl questioned.

"Si.

"!Mama, mi hermano es en el telephono!" _Mom, my brother's on the telephone!_

"Eva, I'm out of prison. I was released this morning."

"Que?"

"Look, Eva, I don't want Mama to know yet. Promise you won't tell her?"

"Si. What's going on?" she asked, sensing the urgency in her brother's voice.

"It's Michelle. I'm at the hospital." he explained.

"How is Michelle?" his sister asked.

"Hablo espanol!" a woman cried. Tony recognized the voice as his mother's.

_Speak Spanish!_

"Bueno, Mama, siento. Como es Michelle?" she corrected. _Okay Mom, sorry. How is she?_

"She's sick, mi chica. She's dying." he whispered into the receiver.

"Ohh." she sighed. "Lo siento, Antonio. Siento mucho." she said softly. _I'm sorry Tony. I'm very sorry._

"It's a tumor. It's cancer. She's dying Eva. What am I going to do?" he sobbed.

"Donde esta Ud?" she asked. _Where are you?_

"Good Samaritan on North, but don't come down here." he urged.

"Por que?" _Why?_

"I can't have you here right now; I just needed to talk to someone. I don't know what to do. I figured that of all people… you would know what I should do." Tony explained.

"Tony, listen." she whispered in English. He guessed his mother had walked into the next room. "Michelle will need you now more than ever. Take her home. Let her enjoy the time she has."

"Eva, I can barely look at her. She's so… weak." he cried.

"That doesn't matter Tony. This isn't about you. This is about her. This is about how she feels and what she wants. She needs you now Tony. The one regret I have is that Rico and I didn't spend as much time together as we could have. He was dying and I wasn't there for him. Michelle loves you. She's proved that to you over and over again. Vaya a ella, Antonio." she urged. "Make sure she knows how much you love her."

Tony sighed and muttered a goodbye before hanging up the phone.

"She's right you know." Jack called from behind him.

"Jódale." Tony spat back.

After translating Jack spoke again. "I took four years of Spanish, Tony, I can understand you." Tony chuckled.

"Just because you had a book of Spanish swears doesn't mean you speak It." he retorted. "I know she's right Jack. I just don't know what I should do. I've been gone for two years. How can I just expect her to want me again after everything that's happened?"

"She does want you Tony, she always has. I remember the day I met her." Tony smiled at the memory, although Jack didn't. "She couldn't stop looking at you. She blushed every time your name was mentioned. She loves you Tony. She loves you as much as she did that day in the hotel." Tony winced. "She'll love you no matter what."

"Remember, our wedding?" Tony drifted, thinking back to happier times.

"You mean when Ryan got so drunk we needed three men to talk him out of a table dance?" Jack reminded him. Tony laughed.

"I actually hadn't thought about THAT in a while. No, I mean, Michelle, you know, when you gave her away." Jack smirked. "She looked at me as you came through the doors, and for that one moment, that one second in time; I felt…" he shook his head. "I felt like nothing else mattered. There wasn't anyone else there, just her. And when she smiled…" Tony's voice broke and he took a deep breath. "When she smiled at me; that was when I knew. I knew that nothing would ever be the same."

"She was so nervous out in the lobby, but she never hesitated Tony. Not once." Jack assured him. "She said that you were her second chance." Tony sighed and twirled his wedding band on his finger. "And I said 'No,'" Jack uttered. Tony looked up at him and quickly wiped away the tear that threatened to fall. "I said 'You're HIS second chance.'"

Tony's eyes welled back up. "She was." he agreed, looking back down at his ring.

"You still have time Tony. You still can make her just as happy as she was that day." Jack patted his friend on the shoulder and walked to the door, opening it once again. He nodded his head in Michelle's direction.

Tony walked over to the door and looked Jack in the eye. "Gracias, mi amigo."

"I have no idea what you just said," Tony chuckled and walked into the hospital room. Once out of earshot, Jack smiled. "But you're welcome."


	5. I Let Go

Michelle pulled the blanket that rested over her body down slightly to cover her legs. She was lying in the back seat of the car with her head resting on Tony's lap. Tony helped her to move the blanket to where she wanted it, and she looked up at him with gratitude. Jack was driving, and since they had just left the hospital she was only wearing a hospital gown. Tony knew she felt slightly self-conscious and didn't want Jack to see her bare legs. Secretly he was also wondering if she was covering up from him as well. He quickly put the thought out of his mind and played with her hair.

It was thin - much thinner than he remembered it and the curl was almost completely gone. It had been messily cut short and its color was dull. She noticed him surveying her hair and shied away from him. He ran his fingers over her forehead and whispered to her. She relaxed and closed her eyes.

Tony caught Jack's gaze in the rearview mirror and gave him a small smile. Jack turned back to the road, trying his best to get his friends home as quickly as possible. He turned down a side street and slowly pulled to a stop. Without hesitation Jack stepped out of the car and opened the rear door. He sat Michelle up so that Tony could move out of the car. Tony stood behind Jack as he pulled Michelle carefully out of the back and stood upright, holding her fragile body limply in his arms. He turned around and handed Michelle to Tony, moving her arms to her lap. Tony followed his friend up the driveway to the front door.

Jack opened the door for Tony and smiled at him. "Good luck." he wished.

"Thanks Jack." he whispered appreciatively. Jack nodded and grabbed Michelle's hand.

"I'll see you Michelle." he spoke into her ear. She curled her lips into a weak smile and tried to squeeze his hand. He griped her hand delicately and kissed her on the cheek.

Tony carried his wife into the house and looked around. The furniture was all in the same place. Nothing had been touched. Everything felt like it had that morning when they left. He quickly turned towards the living room and ascended the stairs. He turned right at the top of the stairwell and walked quickly into the bedroom. He laid his wife on the bed and caressed her face with his fingers.

"Do you want to take a bath?" he asked her, pulling the blanket from her shoulders and throwing it on a chair in the corner of the room.

"Tony," she sighed. "I don't have the strength."

"That's okay." he whispered. He laid her back on the bed and strode over to the bathroom. He ran the water in the bathtub and started rifling through the cabinets, looking for the bath soaps Michelle always loved to put in. He finally found some and poured them into the warm water, testing the temperature and making sure it wasn't too hot.

"Tony," Michelle breathed, trying to call to her husband. "Tony!" she cried, barely above a whisper. She took a deep breath and tried one more time. "Tony," she yelled.

Tony heard her and ran into the bedroom. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" She ran her hands through his hair.

"I just wanted to see you." she replied. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.

"I'm so glad baby. I'm so glad."


	6. There's No One Like You

Tony checked the water and turned up the heat a little. He walked back into the bedroom and pulled out a drawer, looking for some clean clothes for Michelle. He could feel her looking at him.

"You know, Almedia, I forgot what a nice ass you have." she flirted weakly. Tony wiggled his booty a little before turning around and smiling. She winked at him and laughed feebly. He reached over to look in the next drawer, expecting to find some of her clothes - but instead he came upon his own. He ran his hands over the material and looked back at her.

"You left it here." he said slowly. "All of it." Michelle closed her eyes. "Why?" he asked as he rotated to look at her.

"Because," she began, rolling to her side. "Because I knew you'd be back." Tony smiled, tears threatening to well up. He took a sharp breath and turned away from her, blinking the water away. He pulled out one of his shirts and some boxers for her.

"How about this?" he asked, throwing them at her playfully. She smiled.

"Only if you'll wear them too."

A few minutes later Tony ventured into the bathroom and turned the water off. He came back in and lifted her up so she sat on her bottom. He looked at the hospital gown. "Why don't we take this off here so I can put you right into the tub?" he suggested. She nodded nervously, which he noticed. He got up and ran to the hamper of clean laundry, pulling out a towel. She smiled and allowed him to untie the gown, pulling it off of her and turning around so she could wrap the towel around herself.

After she was satisfied she grunted and he came back over to her, scooping her up in his arms. She wrapped her frail limbs around his shoulders and allowed him to dip her into the tub. Michelle's head lay on the inflatable pillow and her eyes fluttered shut, breathing in the wonderful scent.

Tony smiled, happy that she was comfortable. He sat there for a moment on the edge of the tub, not sure of what to do next. He knew she felt uncomfortable being naked in front of him, but at the same time he was afraid to leave her alone. He stood and sat on the closed toilet, watching this woman lying in front of him.

She looked a little silly lying in a tub with a yellow towel wrapped around her breasts, but her face looked exactly the same as he remembered. He paid attention to her breathing, wanting to make sure she was still alive. It was something he had never noticed before, but now every breath she took was a miracle. He wondered how long she had been living like this, so fragile and weak. It made him sick. There she was, in that hospital bed, knowing that any moment could be her last, and she thought that he didn't want her anymore. His train of thought was broken by her voice, slightly stronger than it had been.

"Well, you coming?" she asked, not even opening her eyes.

"What?" he asked her, confused about what she meant. She opened one eye and looked at him without rotating her head.

"I thought you were getting in here with me. After all, I feel a little silly lying in this tub with a towel on, and I can't very well remove it myself." she complained. He grinned at her and nodded his head. He quickly stood and undressed, slightly apprehensive about being naked in front of his wife again after so long. Now he understood why she wanted the towel.

He walked over to her and leaned her forward, untying the towel and removing it from the tub. He rung it out and it splashed her, making her giggle. Tony recognized her laugh. He climbed behind her and carefully positioned his legs on either side of her body, leaning against the back of the tub and pulling Michelle up to rest on his chest between his legs. She moved herself back as far as she could, her head resting on his shoulder. She situated her arms on top of his legs and closed her eyes again.

He continued watching her, this time letting his eyes take in her whole body. The first thing he noticed was the bruises. Her abdomen was covered with small red spots that, upon first glance, looked like love marks. The next spot was a scar about four inches long below her breast. It looked fresh, as if only inflicted a month ago. He reached his hand out and brushed over it lightly underwater.

Michelle opened her eyes and noticed him examining her wounds. She smiled a little at his concern - it was embarrassing to her that she looked like this. She looked as if she had been badly beaten a week or two ago and was only now beginning to heal.

She watched his eyes as they moved to her arms, covered with little spots that could easily be mistaken for bug bites. He knew it was from all of the injections and he curled his eyebrows. He couldn't even imagine the pain she had been through while he was gone. He wanted to kiss all her wounds and take all the pain away, but he knew he couldn't. He was afraid to hold her, not knowing if she would want him to or not.

She noticed the dilemma going on in his head and spoke softly to him. "They don't hurt." she began. He looked to her quickly, not aware that he was being observed. "None of it hurts anymore." she explained, cuddling her face into his neck. She moved her arms and grabbed his hands that had found an uncomfortable spot on the top of his own legs. She moved his hands to her waist and placed them firmly there, feeling him touch her with his palms and fingers.

She sighed and ran her hands over his legs, still slightly hairy but none the less sexy. He had lost a bit of weight while in prison, but he still had the same build. He was still very strong but held her just as tenderly as he could. He was afraid that he would hurt her, but she wiggled her body towards him, trying to give him the hint that she wanted him to hold her.

He noticed her hints and consequently moved his hands to wrap his arms around her. She slid her hands up his arms and scratched at him a little before trailing back down and resting on his knees. They lay there for a long time, Tony's body cradling his wife's. For the first time in two years, Michelle felt safe and Tony felt whole.

I'm taking a few creative liberties. I don't know the exact effects of a cancerous tumor or if it could cause bruising or other things like that, but they are in the story. It's kind of like they don't know exactly what kind of cancer she has. I know leukemia patients are prone to bruising (as far as I know) but I don't know about other cancers. If anyone has any info on that please let me know. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm having fun with this.


	7. My Only One

Michelle sat still as her husband dried her off. He pulled her shirt over her head and put the boxers over her feet, holding her up gently so he could pull them up. "There." he stated. "Good as new." Michelle smiled bleakly and closed her eyes, taking a labored breath. Tony watched her for a minute before asking, "Are you scared?"

"Of dying?" she asked. He nodded and pulled her hair back out of her face. "Not anymore." Tony lifted her and carried her to bed, seeing that she was quickly getting tired of sitting. He lay down beside her and played with her curls.

"What do you mean, 'Not anymore'?" he questioned.

"I was afraid that I would… die… without ever seeing you again. I thought I'd never… get the chance to tell you all the things that… I wanted to say." she explained. "I was waiting for you."

"I'm here now. It's all okay." he whispered, kissing her on the forehead.

"Tony, listen to me." she instructed. "You have meant… more to me than any… anyone has. I loved you from… the moment I met you. I promised to love you… until death… but I…" she stopped, her breathing becoming heavier. "I'll always love you Tony. Death… can't change that." He smiled, letting a tear fall. "I'm not… I'm not afraid of dying. I'm afraid… of leaving you. The years we spent… together… really were the best… years of my life. I love you for that… Tony. I love you so much."

"No." he cried. "There has to be something they can do. There's always something."

"I don't want them to… to do anything. I told them I didn't want anyone to try and be… a hero." she explained. "They can't save me."

"I love you so much Michelle. I can't lose you." he moaned. "I need you." Michelle cuddled against his body, trying to absorb his warmth. He leaned down and kissed her softly, not wanting her to use up too much energy. She barely kissed him back, frowning when he pulled away.

"I'm sorry." she whispered. "It doesn't look like we'll be able to make love tonight." Tony shook his head and kissed her again.

"I don't care about that, baby. I can hold you as long as I want. That's all I need." Michelle's frown turned into a grin, and she cuddled up against his chest, fitting perfectly against him. He rubbed her back softly as she cuddled up to him.

"Say something in Spanish." she requested. "Please."

"Mi Dios. Ella es mi esposa. Por favor, permita que ella viva. Adoro Michelle. Por favor. Adoro mi esposa." he prayed.

Michelle looked up at her husband and kissed him. It was a strong and passionate kiss, holding everything from their past. Tony held her tight and kissed her fervently, loving the feeling of her body against his again. He knew that kiss had take all of the strength she had left, and he gave her all he had in return. She pulled away, gasping. "I love you, Tony." she whispered, embracing him again.

"I love you Michelle." Tony replied, crying. "I love you so much." He kissed her on the head and cuddled closer to her, his heart slowly breaking. He rubbed her back gently and kissed her forehead one last time.

With that Michelle fell asleep, and never woke up.


End file.
